Welcome to Sail-World.Com's New Zealand newsletter for 21 December 2009

The flames of controversy continue to flicker around the America's Cup and also at the Louis Vuitton Trophy, with the story we broke on Saturday that the 33rd Match would revert to the best of three series starting on 8 February 2010, as ordered by the New York Supreme Court.

Today, we have no real change on that situation, despite talking to several sources internationally.

Our understanding is that the practical deadline for confirmation of live coverage is the end of this week. One of the issues being trying to cover an event which could span an area of 3000sq kms, be over 20 miles offshore - and with no-one with their hand up (maybe save for the City of valencia) to fund this exercise. While we all take armchair live television coverage for granted these days, it doesn't just happen, and is very expensive (much less so when ARL's graphics package is used).

Moving to the Louis Vuitton Trophy came the news in the weekend that BMW Oracle Racing have pulled out of the Auckland event. Our information is that this decision was made two weeks ago. At the Media Briefing, last Wednesday, Emirates Team NZ CEO named nine teams (including BMW Oracle Racing) , saying that he expected one of those to be out of the event. So maybe the unexpected was expected.

In this issue we feature two reports from New Zealand Olympic crews reporting on their Australian buildup regattas. One - Team Jolly took the Gold medal at Sail Melbourne, the first event in the ISAF World Cup. They also performed very well competing against the Men, and it was perhaps this performance that was their real highlight. The 49er crew of Peter Burling and Blair Tuke took second place at sail Melbourne behind the current World Champions, and look set for an interesting World Championship in Bermuda in January 2010.

Several of the stories appearing in this edition have been submitted via our online submission facility. You can submit your event/regatta/class/boat news by Clicking Here - all copy will be published, please include a photo or three with a side over 1280px wide. There's a new big icon on the home page of www.sail-world.com to make it even easier for you. You will now be automatically informed when your submission has been posted and which regions it has been posted to - a great way to get exposure for your club, class, event, program or campaign.

Many thanks for your help and input, we're here to help sailing, and help those who wish to help themselves.

Etihad Stadium Supermaxi saga continues, mast wont touchdown until 9pm Etihad Stadium Supermaxi Events, Delays on the Qantas flight leaving Singapore carrying the replacement mast. It was originally due to touch down at 2pm, but that has been bumped out to around 9pm tonight, meaning it won't arrive by truck to Sydney City Marine until after 10pm at the earliest.... [more]Onsend this story

Let's go sail on the moon - no, not our moon, Saturn's Des Ryan, It must take the prize as the most outrageous idea of 2009, but a professor at the University College London is suggesting that the way to explore Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is to go sailing on one of her lakes, and the scientific team behind the idea is about to propose it to NASA.... [more]Onsend this story

Classic small boat display at the Great Manly Art Show 28th December Gus Gager, For the first time in 25 years, at the Great Manly Art Show, on Manly Beach at Whangaparaoa, the art show will feature paintings, the local pipe band performing plus the display of small boats.... [more]Onsend this story

Rolex Sydney Hobart - Follow the action with Bass & Flinders Cruises Sail-World, On Boxing Day Bass & Flinders vessels Ocean Dreaming I, Ocean Dreaming 2 and Sun Cat will follow the Sydney to Hobart fleet right from the start. ‘We take our boat out with 200 passengers and we are able to follow them down the leading boats because our vessels do travel at about 28 knots, so we can keep up with them out on the ocean.... [more]Onsend this story

Still looking for that last minute gift? Sail-World.com, Still looking for that last minute gift? Then look no further than Sail-World.com's extensive Advertisers Directory.... [more]Onsend this story

Dutch teen sailor goes missing, found in the Caribbean Sail-World Cruising roundup, She wasn't at home, she wasn't on her beloved boat Guppy, and $5000 was gone from a bank account. 14-year-old Laura Dekker, who hit world headlines when a Dutch court forbade her to sail solo round the world, was missing, but Dutch police didn't suspect foul play. 'We do not believe this is a crime,' said a Utrecht policeman, and he was right, as Laura has now been found - in the Caribbean.... [more]Onsend this story

Etihad Stadium mast delayed RSHYR media, The plane carrying the replacement mast for Etihad Stadium has been delayed out of Singapore and is now due to arrive at Sydney airport at approx 8:30pm tonight, Monday 21 December 2009.... [more]Onsend this story

Englishman dies in Phuket boating accident Phuket Gazette, An Englishman died on Saturday after the Hobie catamaran he was sailing in with two friends capsized off Koh Hei. Chalong police identified the deceased as UK national Kevin Corrigan, a retired former employee of AIG Insurance.... [more]Onsend this story

Whitsunday Sailing Club trio head to Corsair Nationals Ian Grant, Whitsunday Sailing Club Corsair dinghy sailors Bruce Carter and Jim Hayes are well prepared to defend their 2008 Corsair Australian Championship Silver Medal on the tricky Lake Munmorah course at Budgewoi, New South Wales... [more]Onsend this story

Rolex Sydney Hobart - Prelude to a Boxing Day Classic Susan Maffei Plowden - KPMS, The two near sister Reichel/Pugh designs Alan Brierty's Limit and Stephen Ainsworth's Loki, finished first and second, just one point apart, in the Rolex Trophy Rating Series regatta. Both are Sydney-based, from the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race's host club, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. Limit is 63ft in length overall, Loki is 62ft, by virtue of a more plumb bow profile.... [more]Onsend this story

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